A method and a device for operating a single- or a multi-color printing installation, preferably a printing press of satellite construction, is known from DE 34 46 619 A1. That printing press has at least one first stationary machine group, with a counterpressure cylinder and with preferably four transfer cylinders, as well as at least one second, displaceable machine group having at least an arrangement consisting of a forme cylinder, an inking unit and a dampening unit. An arrangement of a forme cylinder, an inking unit and a dampening unit is assigned to each transfer cylinder. The displaceable machine group contains all of these arrangements in a common frame. All of its forme cylinders can be simultaneously brought into contact or out of contact with their assigned transfer cylinders. A printing forme changing device, adapted for working together with a forme cylinder, is not provided.
A multi-color sheet-fed rotary printing press is known from DE 1 169 959 B1. An inking unit can be moved away, along an inclined track, from the assigned forme cylinder of a printing group which is fixedly arranged in place in the printing press. No printing forme changing device working together with a forme cylinder, is provided in this prior art printing press.
A printing group with a central frame section and with two lateral frames, which two lateral frames are arranged on opposite sides of the central frame section and which are movable and, in particular, which are displaceable, is known from DE 102 21 330 A1. Forme cylinders and associated transfer cylinders are arranged in the central frame section. Inking systems, which are assigned to the forme cylinders, are arranged in the lateral frames. In an operating state, in which the lateral frames are moved away from the central frame section, and thus are separated, a printing forme changing device is brought into an operative position with respect to a forme cylinder, in place of an inking unit which had been placed against this forme cylinder. A motor-driven mechanism, preferably a linear motor, is provided for the lateral frames, and a drive unit is provided for moving the printing forme changing device. The movements of the inking unit and of the printing forme changing device occur independently of each other and occur one after the other.